Civil servants walk out in row over pay and pensions
Thousands of civil servants around the region are walking out in a half day strike in protest against cuts in their pay and changes to their terms and conditions.
Live updates
Yorkshire Ambulance workers on strike
450 Yorkshire Ambulance workers are walking out in a row over cutbacks and changes to the service. Paramedics and other ambulance staff are on strike for 24 hours.
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Metro workers on strike
Workers from the Tyne and Wear Metro are on strike in a dispute over pay and working conditions.
The action is expected to affect thousands of commuters as all today's Metro services are cancelled.
Empty tracks on the Metro
Platforms and tracks are empty this morning as Tyne and Wear Metro workers stage the first of two strikes.
The second day of strike action is planned for June 21.
Metro strike begins
Thousands of commuters are expected to be affected this morning as workers from the Tyne and Wear Metro go on strike.
Talks between RMT Union and Metro operators DBTW broke down on Monday, resulting in strike action today and June 21.
The strike is also expected to affect around 20,000 people travelling to see Coldplay perform at the Stadium of Light this evening.
Thirty extra buses have been put into service to ease demand on other modes of public transport.
Union comment on planned Metro strikes
RMT says: "Negotiations are complex and still ongoing.""Both sides are trying to find a way forward."
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Union says strike was only option
The RMT Union says it had no option but to call for strike action on the Tyne and Wear Metro this month.
Workers have proposed strike action on June 7 and 21 - the same dates as planned Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen concerts at the Stadium of Light.
The disruption is expected to affect people travelling to the stadium, as well as thousands of commuters getting to and from work.
Union bosses say they risk losing public support by holding the strikes, but that it was their only option.
Micky Thompson from RMT Union said: "We've tried to negotiate with the employer. The employer has closed the doors and made their position clear. There is no further amendment.
"We have to taken it to our membership. Our membership have said it's not acceptable and we want to do something about it.
"The situation with the concerts has come up. It's given us a position of strength and we've utitlised this to our advantage. Hence why discussions have now been forthcoming for June 4.
"So hopefully sense will prevail and they'll come back and offer something substantial in respect of rates and pay and conditions of service, and we won't have to disrupt the concerts."
Metro workers vote for strike action
Tyne and Wear Metro workers have voted to strike in two separate disputes over pay, and the alleged victimisation of a union member.
The Rail Maritime and Transport union said staff had been offered a 1.3% pay rise, while cleaners are protesting at "unfair" disciplinary action against a colleague.
General secretary Bob Crow said: "RMT cleaners have shown that they will not put up with victimisation and bullying, and our members employed by DB Regio have given a resounding no to attacks on pay and conditions.
"In the face of this insulting 1.3% offer from the company, we have had no option but to ballot for action in defence of our members' standard of living.
"It wasn't transport workers who created this economic crisis and we will not sit back and wait for our members to take the hit in their pockets.
"Both of these resounding mandates for action will now be considered by the RMT executive."
Strike ballot over salary cuts
Members of The University and College Union will be balloted for strike action in a row over pay.
The action comes after Sunderland College announced plans to cut the salaries of more than 150 lecturers by £10,000 and downgrade 70% of its teaching workforce to inferior pay grades.
The union has accused the college of trying to deliver teaching on the cheap and using the current funding difficulties in further education as an excuse to cut staff pay.
The ballot will close on Friday 18 May.
– Iain Owens, UCU regional officialNobody is blind to the funding challenges facing further education at the moment but there is no excuse for cutting pay in this way. The college’s actions are completely disproportionate and seem little more than an attempt to deliver teaching on the cheap.
– Nigel Harrett, vice principal curriculum and student supportThis is an extremely challenging time for Colleges across England as funding is cut, forcing savings to be made. We understand the union has a job to do on behalf of its members and we have a job to do on behalf of both our staff and our students – by securing the long term future and viability of the College.
We have an amount of money to save and are looking at various ways of making
those savings and have started from a ‘worst case scenario
School strikes more likely after NUT conference
North East union representatives are returning to the region after voting in favour of balloting on a school strike, if the Government moves ahead with its regional pay plans.
Gateshead teacher Tony Dowling told North East Tonight that he thought 'mass resistance on the streets' was a good option.